Stainless steel industry bodies fight over BIS's QC Order

The QC order makes it mandatory to register with the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) and it prohibits the manufacture, import, storage, sale and distribution of stainless steel products by trade and industry without such registration.

"Report highlighting long period of BIS certification is factually incorrect, it is a matter of fact that BIS has already announced simplified regime for registration that will now only take one month as per new simplified scheme after submission of complete documents," ISDAA said in a statement.

The Quality Control Order has led to a war of words between various industry bodies associated with the stainless steel sector in the country. While some call the order as the need of the hour, others are protesting that it helps a few companies at the expense of the others.

Industry bodies like Metal and Stainless Steel Merchant's Association, All India Stainless Steel Industries Association and Process Plant & Machinery Association of India (PPMAI) have alleged that the QC Order has been implemented without discussions with end users.

Yesterday, PPMAI claimed: "Steel Ministry informed us that Jindal Stainless took nine months for registration and despite the same the Ministry has given only 3 months for implementation of QC Order to international companies."

Amid the clash between industry bodies, Steel Minister Chaudhary Birendra Singh last month Union Minister of Steel formed a special committee is to resolve the issue.

Indian Stainless Steel Development Association (ISDAA) said the draft Stainless Steel Quality Control Order was in public domain since June 2015 and the relevant processes for obtaining BIS certification should have been initiated long ago.

The final order was notified on June 10, 16 and an additional period of 3 months was provided for obtaining BIS certification, it added.

"It may be noted that a number of licenses for stainless steel registration have been applied and issued also. Not only domestic players like SAIL,JSL and BRG have received BIS certification but even foreign players like Posco has received registration. Shockingly, wrong facts are being misrepresented in public," ISDAA said.

BIS has introduced simplified procedure last month where an applicant can get registration in one month only and not 6 months as being falsely proclaimed.

"Another factually incorrect statement, Steel Ministry gave 15 months to carbon steel order, it may be noted that carbon steel order was notified on December 15, 2015 and order became effective on March 18, 2016," it added.